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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29351490">Not Cheating, Experience!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm'>skargasm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Keeping Up with the Hales [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Fanart, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:01:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29351490</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike and Peter have a typical night out...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Hale &amp; Spike (BtVS)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Keeping Up with the Hales [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not Cheating, Experience!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mephistopholes/gifts">mephistopholes</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilscut/gifts">devilscut</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TummySassAndAss/gifts">TummySassAndAss</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Peter leaned against the wall, panting slightly for breath as he turned to look at Spike.</p><p>“Why is it <i>every</i> time I go out for a drink with you, I end up in a fight, covered in blood and running from an angry mob?”</p><p>“This isn’t an angry mob, mate – you should have been there this time Dru and I were in Prague and – “</p><p>“SPIKE!”</p><p>“Sorry!” Spike checked around the corner, then turned back to Peter. “They’ve stopped following us now!”</p><p>“Only because they couldn’t keep up!” Peter grumbled, looking down at his ruined shirt and the bloodstains on his hands. “You realise I won’t ever be able to go back there, right?”</p><p>“It was a bit of a shit-hole – I wouldn’t have thought you’d miss it!” Spike replied.</p><p>“Ugh!”</p><p>“It wasn’t actually my fault!” Spike protested, rummaging through his pockets and pulling out his cigarettes and lighter.</p><p>“I thought you didn’t have any cigarettes?” Peter asked, pushing off from the wall and beginning to walk down the street.</p><p>“Nicked these from some bloke when he wasn’t looking,” Spike said nonchalantly, lighting one of the cigarettes and taking a deep inhale. “God, wish he’d had better taste in cigs – these taste like wet paper!”</p><p>Looking around, Peter tried to get his bearings. The crowd from the pub they had spent the evening in had chased them some distance, and he wasn’t quite sure where they were.</p><p>“Why do I ever go out with you?”</p><p>“Because you end up having fun whether you want to or not!” Spike retorted, and Peter managed not to nod in agreement even though Spike was quite right. </p><p>It <b>had</b> been a fun evening. They’d travelled a fair distance from Peter’s usual haunts and ended up in a pub recommended to him by a friend of a friend. The music wasn’t too loud so they were able to talk; the booze was of a decent standard, and they had a pool table. </p><p>Which was where the trouble had started. Peter and Spike had been lazily playing a few games of pool and setting the world to rights when a small group of college students had come into the pub. They had obviously visited a fair few pubs that evening and were slightly the worse for wear, loud and rambunctious and generally spoiling the genial atmosphere of the pub. </p><p>Spike had thrown a few dirty looks in their direction and Peter had just begun wondering if it was time to end the evening when two of the students came over and demanded access to the pool table. With effortless charm, Spike had convinced them that playing a few games for the rights to the table was only fair, whereby a few more of their group came over and insisted that bets be made as the original duo were quite the sharks when it came to playing pool.</p><p>Unfortunately, they hadn’t had several decades worth of experience of playing pool, or the slightly dubious friendship of Spike in their lives, and proceeded to be utterly trounced in what began as best of three, then five, and finally a ‘death’ match. By the final game, Spike had had enough of the insults, shit-talking and jeering that the audience insisted on adding to the ambience, and decided to show off just how good he was at pool.</p><p>“Are you sure you want to do this?” Peter had asked, standing next to Spike and considering the table. Some of the shots looked tricky, but he knew Spike was more than up to the task. And if he wasn’t, Peter could more than easily fill his shoes.</p><p>“Sure thing, mate – this lot deserve to come down a peg or two!” The rumblings from the students were becoming less jovial and more menacing as Spike cleared the table easily, emphasising just how easily he was accomplishing the task by chatting amiably to Peter while he played, and generally playing up the fact that none of his opponents was worthy of his time or skill. “Pay up then,” Spike said upon clearing the table.</p><p>“You hustled us!” one of the students protested, glaring at Spike and Peter across the table. </p><p>“And just how did we do that? Did we <i>invite</i> you over to play? Was it us who first suggested playing for money?” Peter had asked silkily, having had just about enough.</p><p>“I don’t know how you did it – you must have cheated!!”</p><p>“We weren’t cheating – it was merely experience versus arrogance. Now, pay up and toddle off home to Mummy, there’s a good boy!” Spike said, leaning his hip against the pool table. </p><p>“We’re not paying you – and – “</p><p>“Listen, lads, let’s just see this as a lesson learned, alright?” Spike had replied, holding the pool cue in his hands and beginning to twirl it casually as one of the students walked around the table to face him. “Now – why don’t you just pay up and sod off?”</p><p>“You’re not gonna take that from a Billy Idol wannabe!”</p><p>“You show him Jake!” </p><p>“We’re not paying – and you’re leaving!” the one called Jake said, getting into Spike’s face.</p><p>“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Peter advised, rolling his shoulders in preparation for what was obviously about to happen.</p><p>“Well, you’re not me, so you can just shut the fuck up!” Jake said, checking over his shoulder to ensure that he had his audience’s full attention. Spike’s demeanour shifted from amiable to menacing in a second, a hard look coming across his face.</p><p>“There was absolutely no need to be quite so insulting and rude! My friend, Magnus, always says – if you can’t find the one playing pool who’s been hustled, it’s most likely you!” Spike said, a sneer in his voice.</p><p>“What kind of fucking name is Magnus?”</p><p>“Mind your manners, you little punk! Pay up and sod off before I shove this pool cue so far up your arse, you discover an entirely new sexuality!” Peter winced just before Jake threw the first punch and the fight was on. He and Spike versus what appeared to be seven or eight young men, all full of cheap beer and baying for a fight – normally such odds would not have been great. </p><p>However, he and Spike were used to fighting at each other’s backs – whether it be for fun, or as part of a supernatural event – and wiped the floor with them easily. Unfortunately, several of their friends came into the pub just as he and Spike were finishing them off, and as good as they were unless they wanted to start using claws and fangs, a hasty retreat was required.</p><p>“So – we gonna have another drink then?” Spike asked, walking at Peter’s side. </p><p>“Do you promise to behave this time?” Peter asked and Spike shrugged before giving Peter a lopsided grin. </p><p>“Hell no!”</p>
<hr/>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies for my absence! Yet another cough/cold (maybe I should be put down?) and it was my birthday on Tuesday so I haven't been writing! Normal service should (hopefully) resume!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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